Background: Kuwait has announced that a squadron of its British-made Lightning jet fighters has been sent to the Suez Canal area to work with the Egyptian Air Force. The Lightning is capable of intercepting all jet types currently flying with the Israelis Air Force.

Kuwait's move is seen by experts as robbing the Israelis of one of their major advantages over neighbouring Arab states.... that of superior air power. The one squadron already flying with the Egyptian Air Force is due to be followed by another squadron of Lightnings from Kuwait.

This Visnews Library film shows Lightning Fighters being tested at Manchester, in Northern England, before delivery to Kuwait and Saudi Arabia. The Lightning was designed primarily as a high-level defence-fighter, capable of speeds exceeding 1380 miles (2,220 kms) per hour. Many performance details are still secret, but the Lightning is capable of carrying air-to-air missiles, cannon, bombs and rocket launchers.

The versions built for Kuwait and Saudi Arabia were modified for use as a ground-attack fighter-bomber, if required.

Kuwait announced the Lightnings were sent to the Suez Canal area following January's meeting of Arab Foreign and Defence Ministers in Cairo. Neither Kuwait nor Saudi Arabia had previously committed their air forces during the fighting between Israel and the combined Egyptian-Jordanian Air Forces.

Israel had enjoyed a marked superiority over neighbouring Arab states with American-made Phantom and Skyhawk fighters and French-built Mirage fighters.

SYNOPSIS: Kuwait has stationed Lightning jet fighters in the Suez Canal area... a move which experts see as ending Israel's air superiority over the Egyptian Air Force. This film shows Lightning fighters being tested in Britain before delivery to the Kuwait Air Force. The British-built aircraft is capable of intercepting any jet currently flying with the Israeli Air Force.

One squadron of Kuwait's Lightnings have been stationed in the Suez Canal region and another squadron is due to follow. Previously, Israel had enjoyed a marked superiority in the air with its United States-built Phantom and Skyhawk fighters and French-built Mirage fighters.

Many performance details are still secret, but the Lightning is capable of carrying air-to-air missiles, cannon, bombs and rocket launchers. Kuwait announced the aircraft had been sent to the Suez Canal following January's meeting of Arab Foreign and Defence Ministers. Previously, Kuwait had not committed its air force in the conflict between Israel and the combined Egyptian-Jordanian Air Force. Another of Egypt's allies, Saudi Arabia, also has Lightnings in its Air Force.

The performance of the British-built fighter is impressive... the Lightning is capable of more than one-thousand-three-hundred-and-eighty miles an hour and can climb to intercept enemy aircraft at thirty-thousand feet in just over two minutes. Although designed as a high-level defence-fighter, the Lightnings which Kuwait sent to the Suez Canal are modified for possible use as ground-attack bombers.

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